In a bid to avoid sending a geopolitical signal favouring either Beijing or New Delhi, Dhaka could drop China for Malaysia as the destination for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's first overseas visit after assuming office, according to sources in Bangladesh's foreign ministry.
Possible dates under discussion
A number of dates are under discussion. It is likely that the Prime Minister will visit Malaysia from June 21-22 before he travels to Beijing, an official said, stressing that his schedule is yet to be confirmed as June 18 is also being considered. Earlier, Tarique was expected to travel to Beijing from June 20-26, despite a pending invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bhutan initially being chosen as the destination of his first foreign tour.
Invitation from Malaysia
In April, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had invited Tarique to visit Malaysia, with the Southeast Asian nation reaffirming its commitment to further strengthening cooperation across multiple sectors. People in the know said that if Malaysia is indeed Tarique's first bilateral overseas visit, it could to some extent help ease the pressure in India-Bangladesh relations, which have been troubled since the ouster of former Prime Minister Hasina.
Strengthening ties
Visiting Malaysia will strengthen ties between the countries, which this year signed five memorandums of understanding, the official said, recalling that Prime Minister Ibrahim was the first foreign leader to visit Bangladesh since Hasina's ouster, sending out a clear message that Dhaka was not alone in its moment of transition.
